Pine Prairie’s Kameron Allen gets set to launch a shot in a game played earlier this season. The junior guard has been named as The 2020 Ville Platte Gazette’s Most Valuable Player for girls’ basketball in Evangeline Parish. This is the second year in a row that Allen has been awarded this honor. (Gazette file photo)

Allen’s work ethic has earned her another Most Valuable award

Mon, 03/23/2020 - 8:18am

Tracey Jagneaux

Sports Editor

For the second year in a row, Pine Prairie’s Kameron Allen has shown the talent and skills necessary to be named as the Most Valuable Player in Evangeline Parish for girls’ basketball.
One of the main reasons why Allen has not slacked in her play over the last three seasons that she had been a part of the varsity squad is that she continuously works on her craft throughout the year.
Knowing that she had holes in her game that she wanted to fill, the junior point guard for the Lady Panthers made sure this off-season was utilized to correct those flaws.
“Coming into this season, I knew I needed to work on my outside game, especially my three-point shooting,” stated Allen. “So, I really made an effort to try and make that part of my game. I also tried to make myself more crafty when I drive into the lane so that I can capitalize on scoring the basket and getting the extra free throw. I did a lot of cone drills to make that happen.”
“One of the major things that we, as a team, all worked on was conditioning,” Allen continued. “We knew that in order to get better, we had to make and effort to get into better shape. So, that was a big part of our preparation this summer.”
Allen and the Lady Panthers used the lessons learned in the off-season as a springboard to a 15-3 start to the 2019-2020 campaign. But, for a couple of reasons, Pine Prairie could not sustain that hot start and began faltering once district competition began.
According to Allen, the main reason for the fall off was the lack of communication.
“The communication between the players on the floor just wasn’t what it had been at the beginning of the season,” said Allen. “Not everyone was on the same page anymore and it created confusion. But, we got it fixed and were able to get back on the right track.”
Another important reason why the Lady Panthers began faltering was the focus on Allen herself. A number of teams began using the tactic of placing a defender on the talented guard from tip-off until the time ran out on the clock.
For Allen, who is accustomed to not having someone in her face every minute of the game, it was frustrating at times.
“It can be very aggravating to have someone on you all the time,” commented Allen. “Eventually, you get used to it and find ways to get yourself open so that you can get the ball. Coach Renotta (Edwards) was good at designing ways to get me open.”
Despite the tremendous amount of attention that Allen received, she was still able to average 15.5 points per game and dish out four assists per game.
Behind her leadership, Pine Prairie found a spot in the Class 3A playoffs and made it to the first round. Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers were unable to pick up that first win in the post-season.
“It was disappointing to lose that first game in the playoffs,”stated Allen. “We really wanted to make it to the tournament. But, we just couldn’t keep the momentum going in the fourth quarter. I know for me, I will have to continue to get better and work on my game even more in order for us to make a big run next season.”